3 lessons I learnt that made me rethink everything about selling my art:

I will never sell art the same way again. Here are 3 lessons I learnt that made me rethink everything about selling my art.

➢ It’s not about the single great pieces; it’s about the linage and body of your artistic practice. Exhibiting taught me that audiences want to see a clear and consistent thread. Consistency in your style obviously makes your work distinct and recognisable but also, consistency shows that your art is truthful and there’s power in that. My work has consistency and a recognisable style which helps an audience connect better with my narrative and personal story that is told through my art. I have found that not only my audience, but curators, collectors and buyers have a better understanding of my art when there’s a strong visual language. Which is why even though work evolves, a consistent visual language has made my work easier to contextualise and voice.

➢ Consistency in pricing: Having poor pricing or inconsistent pricing is something that erodes trust in your buyers and collectors, as well as devalue your entire body of work. Learning how to value yourself and your art is extremely important. I have a firm and consistent price list across all my platforms, which ensures quality and equal treatment. I work all my pricing out by size and material cost, the larger the piece the more expensive it becomes, working in increments. The only time the prices will change is when a gallery takes a larger commission cut, I will then raise the price accordingly (and I will up my prices every few years for inflation and demand).

➢ In the gallery, selling isn’t the necessarily the goal: what I mean by this is the sale isn’t the beginning. When exhibiting my work is often meeting the audience for the first time. I am wanting to connect with people, allow them to reminisce and digest my artwork, taking it in. The gallery for me is often where the journey between my artwork and the audience begins. People often pressurise selling in exhibitions, however for me, I want the work to reach and connect with as many people as possible, and selling prints of originals is an addition to this – don’t get me wrong it is lovely!!

These three lessons, define how I manage my creative practice and how I can better transfer my work from studio to gallery space. They have transformed the way that I see selling my work, because you’re not just buying one painting, you’re buying part of my world.

​Overall, I would say the archiving lesson here is consistency and honesty.